Belarus: A Land Of Oppressive Rule And Control

Belarus has been described as having an oppressive regime, with a lack of freedom of the press, and freedom of association. The country has been criticised for its human rights violations and persecution of non-governmental organisations, independent journalists, national minorities, and opposition politicians. Since the 2020 presidential election, the government has enacted a broad campaign against press and media freedom, with new media laws being installed and dissident voices repressed. This has resulted in at least 34 journalists being imprisoned and more than 20 websites blocked. The Belarusian government has also targeted political opponents, human rights activists, and cultural workers. The country's leader, Alexander Lukashenko, has described himself as having an authoritarian ruling style.

Human rights violations

Belarus has been criticized for its human rights violations and suppression of freedom of expression, association, and assembly. The country has been described as having an oppressive media climate, with journalists facing arbitrary detention, censorship, and violence. Since the 2020 presidential elections, more than 30,000 people have been arbitrarily detained, including over 500 journalists.

The Belarusian government has been accused of targeting and intimidating civil society activists, independent media, and opposition candidates and their supporters. The government has also been criticized for its persecution of non-governmental organizations, national minorities, and opposition politicians. The number of political prisoners recognized by the Viasna Human Rights Centre rose dramatically to 1,062 as of February 2022, and several people died due to the use of unlawful force by law enforcement during the 2020 protests.

The Belarusian government has also been criticized for its lack of freedom of religion and belief. Religious minorities, including Jews, Muslims, and Protestants, face discrimination and restrictions on worship. The government has also been accused of promoting anti-religious views in schools and making it difficult for religious organizations to register.

The country's judicial system has been described as lacking independence, with a high conviction rate and harsh treatment of political opponents. The government has also been accused of using the judiciary to suppress dissent and silence human rights defenders.

The Belarusian government has further been criticized for its treatment of political prisoners, including arbitrary arrests, detention, and imprisonment. The government has also been accused of forced disappearances and hostage-taking.

Overall, the human rights situation in Belarus has been described as oppressive, with the UN Special Rapporteur urging the continuation of the UN mandate to address these issues.

Persecution of journalists

Belarus has been described as having one of the most oppressive media climates in the world. The country's government has been accused of enacting a broad campaign against press freedom, with new media laws, censorship, violence, and mass arrests. Since the 2020 presidential elections and subsequent protests, the situation has only worsened, with more than 500 journalists among the over 30,000 people arbitrarily detained.

The Belarusian government has targeted independent journalists, resorting to state-sponsored terrorism to silence dissenting voices. This includes censorship, violence, mass arrests, and coordinated raids on homes and media offices. The Association of Belarusian Journalists (BAJ) has been disbanded, and the government has changed laws to justify attacks on press freedom. The justice system, under complete government control, now equates independent journalism with "extremism", which is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

The crackdown on media has resulted in at least 34 journalists imprisoned and more than 20 websites blocked. Many independent media outlets have been forced to cease operations or operate from outside the country, mainly financed by external subsidies. Journalists who remain in Belarus often work clandestinely and are targeted by the police, facing arrest, searches, assaults, and mistreatment in prison. This systematic harassment takes a deep psychological toll.

The Belarusian government's actions have drawn international condemnation, with organisations such as the International Press Institute (IPI) calling for the immediate release of imprisoned journalists and a restoration of democracy in the country. The IPI has also demanded an end to the crackdown on independent media and the repeal of bans on their operations.

The situation for journalists in Belarus remains dire, with no signs of improvement as the government continues to suppress the rights and freedoms of its citizens.

Arbitrary detention

Belarus has been criticised for its human rights violations and persecution of non-governmental organisations, independent journalists, national minorities, and opposition politicians. The country has been labelled as "one of the world's six 'outposts of tyranny'" and "Europe's last dictatorship".

The government has been accused of conducting arbitrary arrests, detentions, and imprisonment of citizens for political reasons, criticising officials, or participating in demonstrations. These actions have been condemned by international organisations such as the United Nations, the European Union, and Amnesty International.

During the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests, the number of political prisoners recognised by the Viasna Human Rights Centre rose dramatically to 1062 as of 16 February 2022. The Belarusian authorities have targeted and intimidated civil society activists, independent media workers, and opposition candidates and their supporters.

In August 2020, Amnesty International documented a clampdown on human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association ahead of the presidential elections. The organisation reported politically motivated prosecutions, intimidation, harassment, and reprisals. Hundreds of peaceful protesters were arbitrarily arrested and heavily fined or held in "administrative detention".

The Belarusian government has enacted a broad campaign against press and media freedom, installing new media laws and repressing dissident voices. Since August 2020, more than 30,000 people have been arbitrarily detained, including more than 500 journalists. The crackdown on media has resulted in journalists being imprisoned, websites being blocked, and equipment being seized.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has reported the sentencing and arbitrary detention of independent journalists from the banned independent media outlet BelaPAN. The four journalists were sentenced on various charges, including "high treason", "creating an extremist formation", "tax evasion", and "organising and preparing actions that grossly violate public order". They were banned from holding certain professional positions for five years and received fines. The Observatory considers the charges to be fabricated as part of the Belarusian authorities' efforts to clamp down on freedom of expression and impose censorship.

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Anaïs Marin, has expressed concern over the massive human rights violations, notably against labour unions and human rights defenders. She has urged the Belarusian authorities to allow independent and thorough investigations into the allegations and grant unimpeded access to United Nations Special Procedure mandate holders.

Repression of opposition

Belarus has been described as having an oppressive regime, with a lack of freedom of the press and a history of human rights violations. The government has been criticised for its persecution of non-governmental organisations, independent journalists, national minorities, and opposition politicians.

The country's leader, President Alexander Lukashenko, has described himself as having an "authoritarian ruling style". Western countries have described Belarus under Lukashenko as "Europe's last dictatorship", and the country has been labelled as ""not free" by Freedom House since 1998. Lukashenko's regime has been characterised as "brutal and authoritarian" by the US Department of State, and the country has been determined to be a habitual violator of international human rights laws and norms by the UN, the US, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and other international organisations.

The Belarusian government has enacted a broad campaign against press and media freedom, with new media laws being installed and dissident voices repressed. Since the 2020 presidential elections and subsequent protests, more than 30,000 people have been arbitrarily detained, including more than 500 journalists. The crackdown on media has resulted in at least 34 journalists being imprisoned and more than 20 websites blocked. The Belarusian Association of Journalists, as well as several independent media outlets, have been liquidated or blocked by the authorities.

The government has also targeted opposition politicians, human rights activists, and other independent professionals. In 2020, the number of political prisoners recognised by the Viasna Human Rights Centre rose dramatically to 1062 as of February 2022. During the 2020 protests, several people died after the use of unlawful and abusive force by law enforcement officials, and authorities did not investigate violations, instead harassing those who challenged their version of events. The Belarusian KGB has also started to put Belarusian citizens on a list of terrorists without a court decision, and terrorism is punishable by the death penalty in Belarus.

The repression of opposition has extended beyond Belarus' borders, with Belarusian exiles facing increasing suspicion and hostility in Europe. European countries, such as Lithuania and Sweden, have imposed visa restrictions on Belarusian nationals and deported Belarusian asylum-seekers, despite the ongoing state terror in Belarus. Belarusian students studying abroad are regarded as potential spies by the Lukashenko regime, and their European degrees are not recognised in Belarus.

International sanctions

European Union Sanctions

The EU has imposed restrictive measures against Belarus, including individual and economic sanctions, restrictions on trade, a SWIFT ban for five Belarusian banks, and a prohibition on transactions with the Central Bank of Belarus. The EU has also restricted financial inflows from Belarus to the EU and prohibited the provision of euro-denominated banknotes to the country. These sanctions target key figures in the political leadership, the judicial branch, and economic actors, including President Aleksandr Lukashenko, senior officials of the Ministry of the Interior, the Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, the Prosecutor General, and the Chairman of the national state television and radio company. The EU's sanctions aim to pressure the Belarusian political leadership to prevent further violence and repression, release all political prisoners and other unjustly detained people, and initiate a genuine and inclusive national dialogue.

United States Sanctions

The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has compiled a Belarus Sanctions list, which includes individuals and entities whose property is blocked due to their involvement in undermining democratic processes or institutions in Belarus. The US has also imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on members of the Lukashenka regime, targeted Belarusian revenue generators that support the regime, and taken additional actions to hold the regime accountable for human rights abuses.

United Nations Sanctions

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus has urged the Human Rights Council to continue its mandate due to the country's leadership showing no signs of stopping its oppression of the rights and freedoms of its citizens. The Special Rapporteur has highlighted the lack of freedom of expression, assembly, and association in the country, as well as the systematic harassment of peaceful demonstrators, non-governmental organizations, political opponents, human rights activists, and independent media workers.

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